


For The Longest Time

by Doooooooom



Category: Pacific Rim (2013)
Genre: Established Relationship, Fluff, M/M, Post-Movie(s), Serenade, cheesy 80s pop songs, don't look at me, dumb schmoopy feels
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-05-18
Updated: 2014-05-18
Packaged: 2018-01-25 14:13:20
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/1651532
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Doooooooom/pseuds/Doooooooom
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Hermann told Newt not to get him a present for Valentine's. Newt is doing what he's told. Technically.</p>
            </blockquote>





	For The Longest Time

**Author's Note:**

> I listened to this playlist - http://grooveshark.com/#!/playlist/Pacific+Rim+Newmann+God+Only+Knows/97534454 - too many times, and then this happened. Unbeta-ed and gross, sorry.

Someone had made an effort to decorate the mess for Valentine's Day, with paper hearts stuck around the walls. There was maybe a little more snuggling going on around the tables than usual, but really, most people who had someone to be with tonight were going to be somewhere else that wasn't the mess. Newt _didn't_ have somewhere else to be, because Hermann had been bluntly uninterested in Valentine's. Which Newt could relate to, in a general sense, but when Hermann had made Newt promise not to get him a present, Newt's perverse streak had reared its head. Well, _technically_ , he _was_ doing what he'd promised. He _hadn't_ got Hermann a present.

Newt sauntered through the mess hall, ignoring the curious looks at the guitar slung across his back. Hermann was sitting at a table with his food, chatting with a few people. He looked up when he felt a hand on his shoulder, and smiled when he saw it was Newt. Newt pressed a kiss to his temple and asked, “How'd the meeting go?”

“A complete waste of the afternoon.” Hermann sighed, and took Newt's hand from his shoulder to tug it gently, expecting him to sit. When Newt stepped back instead, Hermann twisted around in his seat. “Aren't you going to ea-?” He cut off abruptly, seeing Newt standing there, guitar in hand, apologising to someone he'd just backed into.

“Yeah, yeah I am. I just...” Newt trailed off, watching Hermann's expression as he eyed the guitar warily. “Uh. Happy Valentine's?” He grinned hopefully. Hermann made a little huffy noise, which Newt was pretty sure sounded secretly pleased.

All eyes at the table were now on Newt, and Hermann was looking at him with a combination of expectation and consternation. Plus, a few passers-by had paused to see what was happening, and there was a little bit of whispering and stifled giggling going on. Well, no stopping now. Newt shrugged the guitar strap into a more comfortable position, and rested his fingers on the strings. He smiled at Hermann, and said “Yeah, so, um. This is for you. Because I know you like this song, and even if you have really _terrible_ taste in music...” – Hermann rolled his eyes at that and Newt laughed a little – “Heh... I still, you know, love you anyway.”

Newt sucked on his lip for a second, then picked out the first note and hummed it to himself. He started to strum and launched into the opening line.

 _Whoa, oh, oh_  
 _For the longest time_  
 _Whoa, oh, oh_ _  
For the longest_

There were a few sounds of recognition from onlookers. Hermann made a quiet noise, and looked away. It wasn't quite the reaction Newt had been hoping for to his grand romantic gesture, and it occurred to him then that he could just be setting himself up for a marathon scolding. Hopefully the next bit wouldn't turn out to be really, awfully prophetic.

_If you said goodbye to me tonight_   
_There would still be music left to write_   
_What else could I do_   
_I'm so inspired by you_   
_That hasn't happened for the longest time_

More giggles and sounds of 'Awwww' came from the people behind Newt. Hermann was engaged in a detailed study of the floor in front of Newt's feet. His lips were pursed and a flush was steadily creeping across his face.

_Once I thought my innocence was gone_   
_Now I know that happiness goes on_   
_That's where you found me_   
_When you put your arms around me_   
_I haven't been there for the longest time_

Someone started clapping along as Newt pressed onwards into the second chorus, and the momentum spread through the gathering crowd. There were at least three people singing along, which was kind of rude because they could all hold a tune better than Newt. Geez.

_I'm that voice you're hearing in the hall_   
_And the greatest miracle of all_   
_Is how I need you_   
_And how you needed me too_   
_That hasn't happened for the longest time_

Newt's eyes were locked on Hermann, who was still avoiding eye contact with anyone who wasn't the floor. He was sitting perfectly still with a hand shielding his eyes, his face turning redder and redder, right to the tips of his ears. Even so, Newt thought he was smiling a little bit, maybe?

_Maybe this won't last very long_   
_But you feel so right_   
_And I could be wrong_

Oh, that was definitely a smile, and a little bit of a laugh. Was he thinking that was closest Newt had ever got to admitting he might be wrong? Way to miss the point, dude, Newt thought. What _ever_.

_I'll take my chances_   
_I forgot how nice romance is_   
_I haven't been there for the longest time_

Some couples had started dancing in the space between this row of tables and the next, and further down the mess hall people were standing on benches, craning their necks to see what was going on. Newt really wished Hermann would take the trouble to look at him as well. He had _not_ just publicly ripped up all his rock'n'roll cred only for Hermann to ignore his extremely heartfelt delivery. Because this was a dumb, corny love song filled with dumb, corny lines, and damn if he didn't mean every _single_ last one of them with every scrap of dumb, corny feeling that he had in his heart.

_Now I know the man that you are_   
_You're wonderful so far_   
_And it's more than I hoped for_

Newt decided it was time to kick the romance up a notch, and dropped to one knee to try and look Hermann in the face for the last few lines.

_I want you so bad_   
_I think you ought to know that_   
_I intend to hold you for the longest time_

As the final chorus came to an end, there was a raucous round of applause. Hermann still wasn't looking at him, but his lips were pressed together in a tight little smile. For a moment neither of them moved, then Newt shoved the guitar back over his shoulder and leaned in to plant a kiss on Hermann's cheek. Hermann turned his head slightly and pressed a brief, self-consciously chaste kiss to Newt's lips. Still clapping, the audience whistled and cheered.

“Same to you, I'm sure.” Hermann murmured in Newt's ear, barely audible over the crowd. “Even despite your atrocious musical taste.”

**Author's Note:**

> Title and lyrics are from Billy Joel's 'For The Longest Time'.


End file.
